Friends of Taka Sumi-e is an art-based society in San Diego, California, dedicated to studying and sharing the art of Japanese style sumi-e brush painting. The society was founded in 2002 and currently has 70 members. TO JOIN THE SOCIETY, CLICK HERE.

The society’s founder and guiding light is Takashi Ryuho Ijichi, long-time San Diego Community College art instructor and a leading figure in San Diego’s Japanese cultural community. With the semi-retirement of Sensei Takashi in January, our San Diego Community College teachers are Iris Lowe-Reiss and Michiyo Kirkpatrick.

NEW! SENSEI TAKASHI RETURNS FOR A CLASS

Our founder, Sensei Takashi Ijichi, is returning to teach a class at the Santa Clara Recreation Center, Santa Clara Place, San Diego, CA, 92109. The new class begins 9/4 and runs through 1/22/2019. Class hours are 12:30 to 3:30 pm.

FALL CLASSES

San Diego Community College Continuing Education fall semester dates are Aug 29, 2018 - Jan 26, 2019. Click HERE for class dates, times and locations from each instructor.

CONGRATULATIONS SENSEI JOE CROSS!

The Japanese American Historical Society of San Diego has honored Joe Cross with a Kansha Award this year for his "quiet, consistent, long-time support throughout the local Nikkei community.” A formal presentation will be made at their annual membership meeting on Saturday, October 13, at the Buddhist Temple of San Diego Annex Hall from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. This year the award is being presented to Joe Cross and the late Guy Kiyoi. Attendance is free and open to the public. A bento lunch may be ordered. The event begins with a short annual meeting, then a bento lunch, followed by the award presentations. For more information, click JAHS 2018 Annual Meeting Flyer with bento order final.pdf.

ANNUAL FOT ART SHOW DATES

Saturday and Sunday March 23 and 24, and Friday, March 22 set up.

UPCOMING WORKSHOPS

OCTOBER: Chrysanthemum, led by Joe Cross

NOVEMBER: Card Making led by Roz and Trish

CLIFF BROWN CREATES PDF eBOOKS

One of FOT’s most active members, Cliff Brown has invited members and painters to view online PDF eBooks he has created of brush paintings. The subjects are Hokusai in Edo, Plein Air San Diego, Nineteen Days of Portraits, and Thirty Days of California Desert Tortoise. Cliff has added a new book, Wu Guanzhong 2017. Click on the link to Google Drive

Society member Sue Landers has prepared an instruction sheet on dry mounting RICE PAPER paintings with silicone glue backing paper. FOT buys the glue paper in bulk for the best price and sells it at FOT workshop meetings. For downloadable dry and wet stretching and mounting instructions, click HERE. For a worksheet on dry mounting SILK paintings, clickHERE.

Tuesday Painters is a group of FOT members and sumi-e students who meet to paint outdoors, or plein air painting. The informal group meets the 1st, 3rd, 4th and any 5th Tuesdays of each month from 9 am until noon. If you'd like to join in with the Tuesday Painters, contact Gaye Lingley takasumiesociety@gmail.com. Any suggestions as to places to paint are appreciated. This is a great way to expand artistic horizons and sumi-e really lends itself to the out-of-doors.

KINU-E KAI SILK PAINTING

The Friends of Taka Sumi-e silk painting group has a new name, Kinu-e Kai. The groups meets monthly at Leucadia Pizza in University City (near the Costa Verde and UTC shopping centers.) For more information on Kinue Kai and silk painting, click HERE.

RESOURCES PAGE

A resource page has been created to help members find materials for painting and projects. Click here to see the page.

SENSEI TAKASHI IJICHI HAS PUBLISHED A BOOK, “SUMI-E BY RYUHO.” TO LEARN MORE, CLICK HERE